1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to combustor walls for a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to members for sealing between adjacent combustor liner segments.
2. Background Information
Typical combustors for a gas turbine engine are subject to high thermal loads for prolonged periods of time. These thermal loads can create significant thermal stresses in walls of the combustors. One method to alleviate thermal stress is to impinge cooling air against the back surface of combustor liner segments. The impingement cooling air enters the impingement cavities formed between the liner segments and the combustor shell through impingement holes disposed within the shell. The same cooling air is subsequently used to form film cooling on the exposed face of each liner segment. The cooling air passes through film cooling holes disposed in the liner segments (typically at an angle) to create a film of cooling air that both cools the segment surface and provides a insulating film that protects the liner surface.
In many instances, core gas flow path anomalies and hardware geometries create flow irregularities that lead to thermal hotspots where the increased temperature leads to accelerated thermal degradation. Gaps disposed between adjacent liner segments are particularly prone to thermal hotspots because of the local gas path patterns and inefficient cooling. These gaps typically extend from the core gas path exposed liner segment surfaces all the way to the surface of the combustor shell.